DIGC302

Simple fact. It didn’t work. It didn’t showcase what I needed it to. It didn’t convey a sense of nostalgia. It didn’t ask questions of why we are attached to technology. It simply just didn’t resonate with people and again gave off the impression of a workshop/hoarding set up that was filled with Xmas lights and cheaply assembled LED lights.

Thats okay. I’ve got a backup idea to try. Same direction of how we dispose of the technology quickly, this time instead of asking what it is that makes us attached to things, this time i’m asking the question is it the technology within thats making these devices disposable. Is it the embedded marketing within websites and product launches that actually makes us subconsciously upgrade and dispose. Is the idea of AI not a being that can think walk and talk, but switch and make us switch devices at will.

I want to tangle with the idea of automation. Not in that we switch something on and leave it to wander for itself, but within the idea of automatic response. Automatic trajectory of devices, that things are built to break quickly and we just abide this because these machines tell us to.

Usually when I upload drone footage I start with the take off and landing and everything inbetween that the drone sees. To expand my skillset and perahps add some aesthetical element to my videos, I’ve been playing around with a time-lapse effect of the actual process of getting a good drone shot. This includes the car ride to the locations. This is my first attempt at a time-lapse inspired video as well as my first real attempt using GoPro Studio.

Enjoy, and please leave a comment if you notice anything or have any feedback!

Upon the success of the “LookUp” and the application towards building a cheaper, faster but more importantly safer bridge inspection to the community and personnel involved, I’ve had to cover some legal and theoretical components of my work that I want to share the process with you.

The idea that initially started this project with and overall scale was to try my luck at a business mock up blog that could be a ‘BETA’ in itself to showcase to potential stakeholders that are interested in using drones for their application. I wanted to use the LookUp product as my trump card for how I personally could help a commercial market with a product that didn’t restrict or limit the user to the original intentions of a drone. I’ve changed the way we think about the disembodiment gaze that drones allow and the perspective vertical and horizontally. I’ve achieved…

Partnering with another major business has always been a goal of mine to initially get the “ball rolling”, and start to build a skill set based on others success of how to go about commercially working a new product into areas of consumer markets.

This means that I needed a few things

ABN – Australian Business Number, The ABN is a unique 11 digit number that identifies your business or organisation to the government and community.

UAV Licence – In order to fly a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) aka Drone / UAV legally in Australia for commercial purpose or gain you will need to obtain certification from CASA.

Patent/IP Protection – TO secure the idea/prototype of the device and register it according to the category/tests conducted. Here I will also consider the idea of having an attorney that will deal with the legal side of this process.

Mathieson Cooper shares some incredible words of future prospects with the LookUp. Thanking him for the new possibilities and insights into helping me expand this awesome experience.

Be sure to head to his Blog and follow his journey throughout UOW and projects he aggregates in the process.

This semester I have been following the works of Sam as he looks to conquer the quest in building the perfect drone. Whilst he won’t admit that he is ‘The Drone Guy’, there is no denying that he is the drone king of UOW at least.

Sam’s drone journey began well before his time at University which makes his story unique. At aged 16 whilst on work placement at the RMS in his home town of Parkes, Sam noticed that the way the engineers and surveyors were conducting bridge inspections seemed to be time and money and consuming and a young Sam thought that there must be a better way to complete these tasks.

It wasn’t until his second year at uni until Sam started experimenting with drones. Sam would first get his hands on a drone in Digc202 where he had an idea for a project that was to…

A Review of #DIGC302 by Top. Thanks for the awesome review!! Be Sure to head over and follow his Blog and YouTube Series!

For this semester I have been following the development and progress of “360 drone” project in relation to how could drone would gives cost effective and safe time in bridge inspection. I following this project through his website ‘Free look’, ‘THINK Sam’ and his twitter under named Sam Noakes [@samnoakes95]. His project pitch was one […]

The initial pitch from Paniti was to provide a comprehensive review of food places around Wollongong varying from traditional culture foods such as Chinese, Thai and Japanese to venues such as ‘Chickos’. This was then going to be aimed at the international students who perhaps aren’t showcased to these venues or targeted or have little knowledge they are existing around the area. The idea was to film his peers instead of himself, trying these foods and giving an informal, relaxed approach to the cuisine that was easily accessed on YouTube for those wanting an everyday University student response from some of the more interesting places to try.

The first initial pitch, quickly turned into an even more informal with the intention of making it humorous. The idea that perhaps the “rawness” of the filming and the locations chosen such as Bunnings Warehouse Sausage Sandwiches, Moon Sushi and a take away fish and chip shop that specialises in oversized burgers. Whilst these videos were somewhat informative, they served a very entertainment niche perhaps pop up viral videos or a meme page. The aims were to identify areas in the Illawarra to showcase to international student’s places to eat, yet I believed when watching them the target could have been issued to any demographic. The filming was smooth, editing was down really nicely with a channel intro and something that I’ve found really great with the videos posted was the information posted about the other segments in the description. I think this was a real positive for the channel as a whole as well as being able to direct the audience to a greater variety of content.

While this content was strong, the continuation and development wouldn’t have varied much in the way of content creation keeping an interest level. This is where the project has taken a new turn. Paniti detailed that he perhaps wanted to implement some new technology into his filming, edits, and intros for particular restaurants and food stalls, and he wanted to capture a new angle before reviewing the place with a drone. This was a really cool idea that would perhaps add a new element of showcasing, advertising and exposure to the hospitality industry but also his own expertise and individuality on YouTube, then he explained he had a Phantom 4 and a DJI Inspire 1 in his repertoire.

This opened a whole new opportunity and indeed trajectory for Paniti, in terms of aerial photography, the market for this is huge right now and the equipment he’s using allows the audience to view the geography of Wollongong in 4K resolution, the highest on the market. He needs to identify a need for this, would be my only suggestion. Approach marketing places, tour guides of Wollongong, travel tourism promoters. I know that We Love The Gong would be a great start and don’t then limit it to geographical locations, the implementation of drones in Australia needs these kind of aesthetics to change the discourse of the fears associated with letting them into aerospace.

Within Paniti’s video’s he’s able to encompass elements of visually appealing shots, incorporate creative commons licensing with resonating music, as well as information about the location and his channel. I think a great inclusion to this would be to share the ways he made the video. For example, he could link the audience a list of the products he uses ( drones, cameras, editing software) in the description so that people who are inspired to create this kind of content can easily see how it’s done. Another suggestion could be perhaps a showcase of his equipment in a review or un-boxing type scenario. I know this would be greatly welcomed by me personally who has a fascination with these products but hasn’t quite made the decision on which of them to dedicate funds to. The review element after a filming session saying what worked, what was good about the particular choice on the day.

These suggestions come from people who’ve gained a massive following for their works and they’ve been able to incorporate sharing their methods with a large audience, to which i believe helps grow their channel and almost sets up the trajectory of a channel. The first is from Casey Neistat… the video below showcases a drone review and a comprehensive showcase of the equipment. My suggestion for Paniti would be to have a detailed look in the description. The aerial videography is stunning but his showcase of all the links for the audience to find his equipment is something I believe would make this project.

He also showcases various platforms of entry and links to other sites for more information and content. I think if a social media page was created and the channel could take multiple platforms, it would encourage a wider audience, for which in the intended market of tourism and visual showcase, that’s like gold.

I think through an exploration of target audience and niche markets that could perhaps use these videos at a commercial level would be something, from experience, I would encourage. Find out the fears and anxieties, find out the policy and regulation in terms of what you CAN do with these aircraft. Then identify some real world applications for them and use the expertise and arsenal you have available to make a name for yourself.

Looking to further development and the trajectory of this project, I’d encourage collaboration perhaps with UOW and their events that promote projects like this with new technology such as Hackagong that supports start up projects but “gets the ball rolling” in a sense. Collaborations are a big part of how you could gain a greater following if that’s the aim of the project. But personally, the trajectory of this and the ways you’ve constructed the start of a professional portfolio on YouTube as a filmmaker i’d be looking for stakeholders, areas of commercialization and people that are looking for aerial imaging. Something that DJI really encourage is 3D mapping, this could be a huge avenue to explore in terms of future videos. A 3D modelling showcase could be an interesting exploration that hasn’t been covered extensivly in a project. Shown below could be an interesting topic to think about!

I look forward to seeing what’s been done since the last check in when the BETA of the project is showcased. Further insight will be on offer and could be added to this critique in person after the presentation.